HARVARD    COMMENCEMENT 

JUNE   21,   1917 


The  Harvard  Spirit  of  Service 


Address  of 

HOWARD  ELLIOTT  '81 

President   of   the 

HARVARD  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 


Graduates  : 


This  is  your  Day — this  is  Harvard's  Day.  We  who 
believe  in  and  love  Harvard  know  that  it  is  one  of  the 
Nation 's  Days,  and  now  it  is  the  Allies '  Day !  The  first 
commencement  at  Harvard  was  in  1642,  when  nine  men 
received  degrees.  From  then  until  to-day,  when  1,225 
were  conferred  Commencement  has  been  celebrated  275 
times  and  45,948  men  have  received  degrees.  There  are 
now  living  26,918  holders  of  Harvard  degrees. 

A  degree  from  Harvard  is  precious,  and  the  holder 
of  it  must  remember  always  that  it  imposes  upon  him  a 
great  moral  obligation;  an  obligation  to  so  act  and  live 
that  he  will  increase  the  power,  reputation  and  useful- 
ness of  Harvard,  and  so  that  by  no  act  or  word  shall 
he  bring  disgrace  to  Harvard  or  to  the  country. 

The  thousands  who  have   received  their  Harvard 

^.  degrees  "commenced"  their  real  life  work  with  them. 

f  They  have  given  much  service  and  have  been  a  great 

jjii  moral  and  constructive  force  in  making  the  nation.  They 

have  been  loyal  and  patriotic  and  have  given  their  lives 

*  in  defence  of  right  and  justice  and  to  save  the  country. 

Memorial  Hall   and  the   tablets   there   tell   of  the 
*>  moral  courage,  self  denial,  and  willingness  to  die  in  sup- 

*  port  of  a  just  cause.    They  represent  the  true  Harvard 
Spirit  of  Service. 

To  lay  down  one's  life  in  defence  of  one's  country 
so  that  its  institutions  and  ideals  may  be  preserved  and 
improved  is  a  noble  act  of  service. 

The  moral  and  physical  conflicts  of  war  are  terrible ; 
yet  they  are  often  spectacular  and  appeal  to  the  imagi- 
nation and  enthusiasm  of  the  citizen.  They  open  the 
door  quickly  to  active  work  for  the  country  and  possibly 


to  undying  fame.  That  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
and  Harvard  graduates  will  perform  again  this  service 
in  defence  of  the  nation,  its  moral  life,  its  honor  and 
integrity  is  a  statement  that  cannot  be  doubted.  If  there 
is  doubt,  it  will  indicate  that  the  ideals  of  the  people 
have  changed  and  in  that  event  more  responsibility  than 
ever  before  rests  uppn  Harvard  Graduates  and  all 
educated  men  to  have  the  moral  courage  to  stand  for 
the  right. 

On  the  other  hand  the  every  day  work  in  time  of 
peace  is  as  important  as  to  fight  in  time  of  war,  and 
requires  the  same  moral  courage  and  high  sense  of  duty. 
This  may  mean,  and  often  does  mean,  severe  drudgery, 
demanding  patience  and  self  denial  and  the  giving  of 
service  that  may  seem  without  results  or  appreciation. 

The  great  conflicts  of  the  past  are  over,  and  grad- 
uates of  Harvard  must  help  to  solve  rightly  many 
present  and  future  problems  which  promise  to  be  more 
complicated  and  pressing  than  those  of  other  days — 
this,  because  of  the  dislocation  of  human  relations 
throughout  the  world. 

"Ill  fares  the  land  to  hastening  ills  a  prey, 
Where  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay.' ' 

Wealth  has  accumulated  in  a  marvelous  manner  in 
this  country  and  the  annual  increment  will  continue  to 
be  great. 

But  men  will  not  decay  if  moral  courage  and  the 
spirit  of  service  is  displayed  by  the  thousands  of 
Harvard  graduates  and  by  the  men  from  other  colleges 
in  the  land. 

Think  of  the  wonderful  growth  and  development  of 
the  country  since  Harvard  was  founded,  and  particularly 
in  the  last  fifty  years!  Great  as  that  growth  has  been, 
the  next  twenty-five  years — the  next  fifty — will  be  even 
more  wonderful  and  more  critical  in  the  history  of  this 
country. 

The  opportunity  for  service  will  never  be  greater — 
service  to  self,  to  family,  to  country,  to  morality,  and  to 
humanity. 

4 


The  late  John  J.  Ingalls,  of  Kansas,  in  a  famous 
sonnet,  makes  " Opportunity' '  say: 

"Master  of  human  destinies  am  I! 
Fame,  love  and  fortune  on  my  footsteps  wait. 
Cities  and  fields  I  walk;  I  penetrate 
Deserts  and  seas  remote,  and  passing  by 
Hovel  and  mart  and  palace,  soon  or  late 
I  knock  unbidden  once  at  every  gate ! 
If  sleeping,  wake;  if  feasting,  rise  before 
I  turn  away.    It  is  the  hour  of  fate, 
And  they  who  follow  me  reach  every  state 
Mortals  desire,  and  conquer  every  foe 
Save  death;  but  those  who  doubt  or  hesitate, 
Condemned  to  failure,  penury  and  woe, 
Seek  me  in  vain  and  uselessly  implore, 
I  answer  not,  and  I  return  no  more!" 

This  limitation  to  opportunity  must  not  be  accepted 
by  Harvard  men.  It  would  be  discouraging  to  the 
young  men  of  the  country  if  it  were  true  that  oppor- 
tunity comes  only  once.  This  is  a  time  filled  with  oppor- 
tunities for  the  alert  and  patriotic  man. 

But  it  is  essential  that  the  relation  of  the  govern- 
ment to  all  human  activities  shall  be  so  adjusted  that 
initiative  will  not  be  killed  and  the  individual  may  have 
full  opportunity  to  obtain  and  retain  the  benefits  of  his 
brains  and  industry,  and  yet  be  restrained  from  doing 
harm  to  others. 

The  educated  man  must  take  part,  a  more  active 
part,  in  framing  and  executing  the  laws  of  the  land.  He 
must  not  leave  this  work  so  largely  to  those  whose  am- 
bitions at  times  are  at  variance  with  the  real  needs 
of  the  people,  or  to  the  reformer  who  is  carried  away 
by  enthusiasm  and  has  little  practical  knowledge  where- 
with to  support  his  contentions. 

Sectionalism,  based  on  diverse  economic  interests 
and  views,  should  not  be  allowed  to  create  discord  in 
this  beautiful  land  of  ours.     Class  feeling  should  not  be 


developed  and  all  should  do  their  part,  realizing  that 
only  a  few  can  be  generals  and  that  most  of  us  must  be 
privates  whose  faithful  work,  however,  often  wins  the 
battle  although  the  world  may  not  applaud. 

The  working  out  of  a  plan  to  settle  international 
disputes  in  some  orderly  manner  and  without  war,  just 
as  business  quarrels  are  settled,  is  a  world  question  that 
must  be  determined. 

The  great  question  of  the  fair  division  of  the  an- 
nual increment  of  wealth  between  those  who  work  with 
the  hands  and  those  who  have  created  and  own  the  plant 
or  enterprise  must  be  answered. 

The  wonderful  material  resources  of  this  country 
must  be  conserved.  The  capabilities  and  responsibilities 
of  our  vast  population  of  many  different  races  must  be 
developed  and  established  for  the  benefit  of  posterity. 

The  educated  man  should  set  an  example  of  high 
moral  courage,  hard  work  and  sane  and  simple  living — 
and  this  example  should  be  a  check  upon  idleness,  waste 
and  extravagance,  personal  and  national — practices 
which  with  our  growing  population  retard  the  progress 
of  the  nation. 

These  matters  of  national  importance  will  be  solved 
correctly  in  the  long  run — but  time  is  an  important 
element.  As  other  great  questions  were  solved  in  the 
past  by  force  and  untold  suffering,  as  the  mysterious 
problems  of  Europe  are  now  being  settled,  so  some  of 
our  problems  may  have  to  be  similarly  determined.  Of 
what  use,  though,  are  education  and  training  and 
Christianity  if  we  cannot  give  heed  to  our  difficulties 
before  the  crisis  comes,  and  by  proper  study  and  con- 
sideration overcome  them  without  war,  riot  and 
suffering? 

Everyone  can  do  something  to  create  a  sound  public 
opinion  that  will  insist  upon  a  just  and  peaceful  settle- 
ment of  questions  like  these. 

To  give  of  time  and  talent  and  moral  force  for  this 
laudable  purpose  is  a  duty  that  every  Harvard  man  owes 
to  his  college  and  his  country. 


The    Harvard    Foundation. 

There  is  one  immediate  and  pressing  service  that 
every  graduate  should  give  to  Harvard.  It  is  to  con- 
tribute to  and  support  the  Harvard  Foundation.  This  is 
a  plan  to  raise  $10,000,000.  The  Marshall  of  the  Day, 
Thomas  W.  Lamont,  is  the  inspiring  head  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Alumni  who  has  charge  of  the  movement. 
He  is  giving  unselfishly  of  his  time,  talent  and  money 
to  obtain  this  amount  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  He 
and  his  committee  should  have  the  moral  and  financial 
support  of  every  Harvard  graduate. 

The  amount  proposed  is  none  too  large  if  Harvard 
is  to  hold  its  place  as  a  great  national  and  world  asset. 
This  is  most  necessary  now  because  some  of  the  great 
Universities  of  Europe  from  which  we  have  received  so 
much  in  men  and  knowledge  have  been  crippled  by  the 
war.  Upon  Harvard  and  all  American  Universities  will 
rest  the  responsibility  of  carrying  on  their  work  and  of 
furnishing  scholars  and  investigators  and  the  moral 
force  of  the  educated  man. 

Individually,  when  we  are  sick  we  try  to  have  the 
best  doctor;  when  we  go  to  law,  the  best  lawyer;  when 
we  have  a  difficult  problem  of  any  kind,  the  best  advice. 
Shall  we  not  give  to  the  young  men  at  Harvard  the  very 
best  of  teachers  and  facilities? 

To  do  this  we  must  relieve  the  teaching  staff  of  all 
anxiety  over  the  present  and  future  welfare  of  them- 
selves and  their  families  and  we  must  pay  salaries  and 
furnish  equipment  sufficient  to  attract  and  hold  the  best 
brains  of  the  country — and  adjusted  properly  to  the 
v  ry  important  work  that  they  are  doing. 

Harvard  must  be  strong  financially  to  give  the 
highest  service  to  the  country,  and  her  graduates  must 
help  her.  Each  one  can  give  something  and  the  pay- 
ments can  be  spread  over  a  number  of  years. 

Graduates  : 

We  are  to-day  facing  conditions  such  as  the 
United  States  and  the  World  have  never  seen  before. 


We  are  face  to  face  with  great  opportunities  and  are 
taking  part  in  great  movements  that  will  affect  the  his- 
tory of  the  United  States  and  of  the  World — and  the 
welfare  of  our  children  and  of  all  who  come  after  us. 

Our  degrees  mean  that  not  only  are  we  educated 
men,  but  that  we  have  a  responsibility  as  men  and  citi- 
zens to  stand  for  the  Right — and  against  the  destruction 
of  Justice  and  the  trampling  down  of  Civilization — to 
give  service,  service  to  the  community  in  which  we  live 
in  addition  to  that  which  is  necessary  for  the  care  of 
ourselves  and  our  families.  We  and  all  educated  men 
owe  this  service  to  our  country  so  that  it  shall  never 
be  said  that  this  great  experiment  in  government  failed 
because  of  the  lack  of  moral  courage  and  the  incompe- 
tency of  its  citizens. 

Graduates,  we  are  meeting  to-day  as  participants 
in  the  greatest  war  the  world  has  ever  known.  We  have 
cast  our  lot  with  our  Allies,  some  of  whom  are  repre- 
sented here  in  person  and  all  by  their  National  Flags. 
We  will  win  this  battle  for  humanity  and  civilization, 
but  the  way  will  be  long  and  the  fight  hard.  Harvard 
will  do  its  share  and  give  a  maximum  of  service. 

As  we  stand  under  our  flag  and  the  flags  of  the 
Allies  let  us  renew  our  faith  in  the  ultimate  sanity  and 
civilization  of  the  world  and  say  with  Longfellow: 

"Look  not  mournfully  into  the  past,  it 
comes  not  back  again;  wisely  improve  the 
present.  It  is  thine.  Go  forth  to  meet  the 
shadowy  future  without  fear  and  with  a  manly 
heart." 


